Growing Up Solo
by MS2798
Summary: The witty banter, the contrast between royalty and rogue, epic love in the midst of war had not slowed down Han and Leia for falling deeper in love with each other. But what happens when the Solo family is shocked with an unexpected surprise?
1. Introduction

Hello to all my readers!

First off, I would like to say thank you for reading my story! This story means a lot of me and I am so thankful that I get to share it with others. I truly do appreciate and accept all kinds of feedback on this story, good and bad. It will only help me grow as a writer.

That being said, I do not own Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Walt Disney Co., or Wookiepedia, nor anyone else who may hold copyright on these characters or information. This is simply my creative work building on the work of others whom I respect. Any information that has not been made by scratch from me is the property of appropriate copyright holders.

My apologies to my fellow grammarians. I know the difference cr between nominative and accusative cases, but these space travelers do not.

Once again, I can not thank you all enough for taking your time to read this story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

 _May the Force be with you, always._

M. Stapleton


	2. 1

The mood was bustling with excitement. Everyone from Ewoks to Rebel pilots gazed up at the afternoon sky, seeing debris cluttering the atmosphere, indicating the destruction of the second Death Star and the defeat of the Empire.

Leia looked up at the exploding Death Star and smiled slightly to herself. She knew Luke had made it off of the Battle Station. She could feel it, even if she didn't have much experience with the Force, unlike her brother.

"I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew," Han assured her as they sat on the forest floor, looking up at the blue sky filled with debris.

"He wasn't, I can feel it," Leia said with a shake of her head, looking at the forest around her, lost in her own thoughts.

Han studied Leia's facial expressions. He had no connection with the Force, but he knew what she was thinking. "You love him," he said, watching as Leia turned her gaze to him, "Don't you?" He asked, preparing for her answer, even if it wasn't one that he wanted to hear.

Leia stared at Han, wondering what he could possibly be thinking. "Well yes," she said.

Han looked at her and nodded his head slightly. Just as he predicted, it was an answer that he expected, but wished it was different. "Alright, I understand. When he comes back, I won't get in the way," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. Han watched as Leia smiled a bit at him, confusion clouding his mind.

Leia reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a small scoff. "It's not like that at all," she said to him, seeing the confusion on his face. "He's my brother," she added, waiting to watch his reaction.

Han sat in silence as the truth was revealed to him. Her _brother_ _?!_ The whole time he thought she had feeling for Luke he was her brother! This was the best news that Han could have ever received. He turned his gaze back towards Leia when she moved a hand from his shoulder to his cheek. The shocked look still lingered on his face as she leaned in, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss.

When they both finally pulled back, Han was smiling from ear to ear, as was Leia. That's when Han swooped in for another passionate kiss, tangling his fingers in her braids behind her head.

Her brother was alive, the Emperor was dead, and the objective the Princess and her father, the one that raised her that is, had been aiming for most of her life was accomplished.

She should have felt like cheering, but instead, a nagging fear kept tickling at the back of her neck. How was she going to tell Han about her father? Vader, the man responsible for all of this was her biological father.

Her fears were temporarily pushed aside as celebrating humans, Ewoks, and a certain large Wookiee caught the Princess and Smuggler up in their joy.

Later that evening, Leia decided she needed to come clean to Han about her family. She told him everything that she knew, from finding out Luke was her older twin brother to Vader being her father.

* * *

Alliance fighter pilots were scattered around the Bright Tree Village, their bright orange flight suits and ground troops in their green camouflage ate, drank, and danced with the Ewoks. They danced in celebration of the fall of the Galatic Empire, pushing their grief off until another day.

However, for at least one person in the Rebel Alliance, this party was not what he was accustomed to. Han Solo—smuggler, pirate, and now Alliance General—had survived many moments like this over the past four years. Parties that once would have enticed him now only seemed to annoy him.

The smuggler scanned the forest, looking for someone when his eyes landed on her, just a catwalk away.

There she was— _the_ Princess of Alderaan, Leia Organa. Han could not advert his eyes from her, finding himself shifting positions as she moved through the crowd, his eyes never leaving her. He watched Leia as she greeted the fellow Alliance members, thanking them for their help in the fight against the Empire. She was absolutely breathtaking. Han propped himself up against a tree, smiling at Leia as she rolled her eyes with a grin and a shake of her head.

The Princess wore a tan dress that came down just to her shins. The bodice was laced across her chest and her hair was braided across the crown of her head, with the rest of her chestnut hair fell just below her waist, swishing around as she walked amongst the crowd. A princess's duties were never finished.

 _'It's now or never, Solo,'_ Han thought to himself.

When Han noticed that Leia was free, he made his move. Pushing past pilots and engineers, Han wrapped his arm over the Princess's shoulder, guiding her away from the crowd.

* * *

The tiny princess asked, "Han, what is going on?"

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to spend time with you and not the rest of the village that decided to show up for this festival," Han admitted with a smile as he ran his hands down her spine.

The pair walked deeper into the forest, making their way high above the ground in the trees. The huts were all empty, leaving them to total privacy. Once he found the perfect spot, Han stopped and leaned against a tree, taking Leia's hands as she stood in front of him.

"Ah, I wish it could always be like this," Leia said, as she dropped his hands and walked over to a railing, her small hands resting on the sturdy wood. "No running, no fighting..."

Han pushed himself off the tree and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and laying his chin on the top of her head. "Mmhm, that does sound nice." He inhaled deeply and squeezed the Princess tighter. "You're trembling. What's wrong?"

Leia sucked in a deep breath and looked down at their feet. "Well, if we're alone for now, I better explain what I said earlier. About Luke and I."

He slowly nodded his head as she turned around in his arms. He could tell Leia was upset about something and it was only a matter of time before he brought up the issue himself. "I'm all ears, Your Worship," he said.

Leia moved out of his arms and slowly paced the catwalk. She walked for several moments before looking at Han, trying to think of the right words to say. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took another deep breath. All in one motion, she blurted out, "Vader, he's my father. Our father."

Han stood in the middle of the catwalk, his hand running across his scruffy jawline, trying to process the information. He eventually pulled her close to his chest as she sobbed, gently rubbing her back. "Hey, is that all?"

"Isn't that enough? I know it seemed bad then, but Luke said he changed. He could feel the light inside of him," Leia explained as her brown eyes met his.

Han looked at her and then ran his hand towards the back of his neck. "Leia, you can't pick your relatives," he started with, hoping to ease her nerves, but she didn't crack.

Leia pushed away from him, wiping tears from her eyes and Han pulled her back into his chest. "Hey, he's gone. He can't hurt you anymore," he whispered to her as he gently kissed her forehead. "I didn't know my parents either. Heck, he could be my father too!"

Leia's face was stone cold as she looked at Han. "That's not funny."

"Not even a little?"

The Princess's eyes diverted to the floor as she let out a deep breath, wiping away the last of her tears and moving towards the rail of the balcony. "Maybe a little."

"I guess it's over and done with now. I can't really change the past. I don't even think the kid can do that," he said before looking at her. "He can't, can he?" He asked.

This stifled a small smile from Leia as she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "No, he can't. And neither can I." Leia knew that Han didn't know much about the Force and its abilities, but she knew he was curious about its powers.

"It's just weird to think that Luke is-" he started to say before Leia cut him off.

"My brother?" She questioned. "I know," she said with a deep breath.

Han nodded his head and also let out a deep sigh. The awkwardness in the room left the pair silent for a few moments. Just as Han was about to speak, a memory dawned on him. He looked at the Princess from across the platform and gave her a goofy smile, one that showed his bright, white teeth.

"What are you thinking?" Leia asked with raised eyebrows, waiting for something absurd and vulgar to leave his lips.

"So, when we were on Hoth, and I got you all worked up," he started to say in a teasing manner. He watched Leia's cheeks turn a bright red as her eyes grew wide.

"Han!" She said, waiting to scold him as her hands fell to her hips.

"Oh no, I'm not done there, Your Highness," he stated, holding up a finger to silence her, his smile growing from ear to ear. "You're telling me you didn't know Luke was your brother when you planted a wet one on him?" He questioned, a satisfied smirk playing across his lips.

Leia huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "No, I didn't know," she stated, her face turning cold.

"Are you sure you didn't know, Princess?" He questioned, trying to aggravate Leia even more. It was something that they had always done. Kept them on their toes with the sarcasm and wit.

"I swear I did not know!" Leia proceeded to shout at him.

Han smiled down at her and walked over to her, placing his hands on her waist and eventually her lower back. "Relax, Sweetheart," he said to her, placing a kiss on her head. "I'm only teasing," he admitted, trying to get her to soften up. "Plus, I think it works better that he's your brother. I don't think the two of you would have lasted."

Leia looked up at him and shook her head, laying her head on his chest. The Princess wrapped her arms around his body, getting chills down her spine as Han rubbed her back. She listened to the steady heartbeat and closed her eyes, moving her hands to find his. "I like it better this way," she whispered as Han leaned down and kissed her passionately against her lips.

"Leia...," Han whispered as he pulled back from her lips.

The Princess looked up at the smuggler, a hint of glimmer in her eyes. "Yes?" She questioned, not wanting this moment to end.

"Leia, I dont know how to begin this, but my last thought before getting put in the carbonite was...if I get out of this mess, I wouldn't let you out of my sight again...Oh, I'm just screwing all of this up," Han blurted out, his hands starting to sweat as his speech became hesitant.

"I've got all night, Flyboy," Leia said with a smile, trying to calm Han down enough so he could gather his words.

Han let out a nervous breath followed by a small nod of his head. "Well, I mean if we leave this place, I don't know when or if I'll ever see you again..."

Grabbing his hands, Leia said, "Don't say that."

"Come on, Leia. You know you'll get pulled back into politics. And Chewie and me, well, we'll end up somewhere on the other side of the galaxy. And I don't want that to happen," he said, interlocking their fingers together.

"I know I may not be the prince your father had imagined, but I'm crazy about you, Leia," he stated, the nerves slowly fading away. "But what do you think? A princess like you with a smuggler like me?" He asked, hoping Leia understood the meaning of the question.

Leia knitted her eyebrows in confusion and tilted her head up to Han. "Is that a proposal?"

Han nodded with a small smile and Leia reciprocated the action with an even faster and bigger nod than Han. He took her in his arms and pressed his lips against hers, taking in her sweet smell and softness of her lips. Han took the Princess by her hand, leading her back to the celebration. _'_ _I'm...getting...married!'_ Three words that Han Solo never thought would be in the same sentence. As he walked with her, he set aside his fears and disbelief. Life would be meaningless without her.

* * *

Three weeks after the engagement and everything had settled down, Han stood in the middle of the Bright Tree Village, waiting to marry Leia. The chief of the Ewok tribe, Logray, was kind enough to hold the ceremony in the middle of their village.

He paced nervously among the catwalk, rubbing the back of his neck. It's now or never, Solo. He watched as Leia walked out of the small hut. Her hair was pulled back into two braids and her dress nearly reached the floor. She was absolutely breathtaking. Once he saw her, Han's eyes dropped to the floor with a smile and shook his head.

Luke followed close behind Leia and gave his sister a big hug, holding her close. He let out a deep breath and smiled at her, gently kissing her forehead as his gaze turned to Han. "I know where you live if you hurt her," Luke said in somewhat joking, somewhat serious tone.

Han raised his hand and placed it on Luke's shoulder. "Kid, I think you should be more worried of her hurting me," Han said as he winked at Leia.

Leia was quick to slap Han's bicep. "Knock it off," she said, shaking her head.

Han questioned, "See what I mean?"

"Okay, you two. That's enough," Luke said with a smile as he hugged Han as well before stepping to the side.

"Well, now that it is all settled," C-3PO started, "the ceremony can begin! Are there two people or creatures that approve of this marriage? One from each party?" The golden droid questioned.

Luke stood next to Leia and nodded his head in approval. "I approve."

Chewbacca positioned himself against a tree and let out a loud howl.

"Thanks, Pal. I knew I could count on you," Han said as he gave Chewbacca's hairy arm a squeeze.

"Perfect!" 3PO exclaimed. "Both take each other's hands," he ordered.

Han smiled at Leia as she placed her hands in his. Both looked at the protocol droid, waiting for further instructions.

"Princess Leia Organa of Alerderaan, General Solo, do you solemnly swear to be united in this bond of marriage?"

Leia nodded her head. "Yes. Forever."

Han smiled at her and repeated her words. "Yes. Forever."

C-3PO said, "Wonderful! Please take each other's arms."

The couple did as they were told, waiting for the final part of the ceremony.

"These two individuals are officially united as one, bonded in matrimony. It is time to celebrate the start of a new life for the couple! Please, to complete the cerem-" 3PO said before getting cut off.

In one swift movement, Han twirled Leia around, pulled her close to his chest, watching as her eyes grew wide with anticipation. His lips landed on hers with passion, gripping her waist as he dipped her towards the ground.

"General Solo, I'm afraid that doesn't follow the code of the marriage ceremony," C-3PO stated while waving his hands in the air.

Han looked over his shoulder at Luke and the droid, giving them both a lopsided smirk. "Kid, shut him up or shut him down. I'm kind of busy over here." Han laid his forehead against Leia's and smiled at her before connecting their lips again.

* * *

Hello all!

I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter! I can't wait to see how my readers feel about this story and any feedback/criticism is appreciated and accepted.

 _May the Force be with you, always._

M. Stapleton


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